# Adapalene and glycolic acid Page: https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid The Lovi Fit is the same in every country; only the stores and prices differ, and the ones here are for Singapore. Keep them apart Use them on alternate nights, with [glycolic acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid) on one evening and [adapalene](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene) the next, because combining them causes skin irritation. Both ingredients speed up skin renewal, so using them together can cause redness, dryness, and a damaged skin barrier. You can switch to using them on different nights or choose gentler, lower strengths. [Retinoids: a journey from the molecular structures and mechanisms of action to clinical uses in dermatology and adverse effects](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28318351/) [Why Topical Retinoids Are Mainstay of Therapy for Acne](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28585191/) - [All about adapalene](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene) - [All about glycolic acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid) ### [Adapalene](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene) products - [Differin Gel](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/differin/gel/for/oily-acne-prone-skin) — High fit - [Galderma Epiduo Gel](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/galderma/epiduo-gel/for/acne-prone-skin) — High fit - [La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/la-roche-posay/effaclar-adapalene-gel-0-1-acne-treatment/for/oily-skin) — Superior fit ### [Glycolic acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid) products - [The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/the-ordinary/glycolic-acid-7-toning-solution/for/combination-skin) — Superior fit - [RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/roc/retinol-correxion-deep-wrinkle-night-cream/for/dark-spots) — High fit — [S$35.46 at Amazon](https://www.amazon.sg/dp/B00027DMI8?tag=lovi-care-web-product0e-22&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1) - [First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/first-aid-beauty/kp-bump-eraser-body-scrub/for/dark-spots) — Average fit - [First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/first-aid-beauty/facial-radiance-pads/for/sensitive-skin) — Superior fit - [Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/murad/rapid-dark-spot-correcting-serum/for/acne-prone-skin) — High fit - [Skinbetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/skinbetter-science/alpharet-overnight-cream/for/dry-sensitive-skin) — High fit - [St. Ives Apricot Scrub](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/st-ives/apricot-scrub/for/dry-skin) — Average fit - [COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/cosrx/aha-bha-clarifying-treatment-toner/for/oily-acne-prone-skin) — Superior fit — [S$16.86 at YesStyle](https://www.yesstyle.com/en/cosrx-aha-bha-clarifying-treatment-toner-150ml/info.html/pid.1052684721?curr=SGD&rco=SG) - [Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/dr-dennis-gross/alpha-beta-universal-daily-peel/for/acne-prone-skin) — Superior fit — [S$141.06 at Amazon](https://www.amazon.sg/dp/B0CSKS5X7X?tag=lovi-care-web-product0e-22&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1) - [Pixi Glow Tonic](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/pixi/glow-tonic/for/oily-skin) — Superior fit - [Good Molecules Overnight Exfoliating Treatment](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/good-molecules/overnight-exfoliating-treatment/for/oily-skin) — Superior fit — [S$43.99 at Amazon](https://www.amazon.sg/dp/B08TMDRF1L?tag=lovi-care-web-product0e-22&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1) - [CeraVe Skin Renewing Nightly Exfoliating Treatment](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/p/cerave/skin-renewing-nightly-exfoliating-treatment/for/acne-prone-skin) — High fit — [S$35.46 at Amazon](https://www.amazon.sg/dp/B098RBCQ4Z?tag=lovi-care-web-product0e-22&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1) ## Questions and answers ### Can you use adapalene and glycolic acid together? No, you should keep [adapalene](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene) and [glycolic acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid) apart in your routine. Combining them in the same step may cause irritation or barrier disruption because both increase cell turnover, so try using glycolic acid in the morning or on alternate nights and adapalene on alternate evenings. ### Which goes first, adapalene or glycolic acid? Keep adapalene and glycolic acid apart by using them on alternate evenings or putting glycolic acid in your morning routine, because combining them in the same step may cause irritation or barrier disruption. ### Are adapalene and glycolic acid good for sensitive skin? Sensitive, dry, and reactive skin should avoid direct overlap of adapalene and glycolic acid. Both increase cell turnover and may cause irritation or barrier disruption when layered, so you should alternate their use by applying glycolic acid in the morning or every other night, and adapalene on alternate evenings. ## Research on adapalene and glycolic acid - [Prevention and Reduction of Atrophic Acne Scars with Adapalene 0.3%/Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% Gel in Subjects with Moderate or Severe Facial Acne: Results of a 6-Month Randomized, Vehicle-Controlled Trial Using Intra-Individual Comparison](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29549588/) Adapalene · American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2018 - [Efficacy and Safety of a Fixed-Dose Clindamycin Phosphate 1.2%, Benzoyl Peroxide 3.1%, and Adapalene 0.15% Gel for Moderate-to-Severe Acne: A Randomized Phase II Study of the First Triple-Combination Drug](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34674160/) Adapalene · American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2022 - [Microneedling by dermapen and glycolic acid peel for the treatment of acne scars: Comparative study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30548170/) Glycolic acid · Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019 - [A topical gel of tea tree oil nanoemulsion containing adapalene versus adapalene marketed gel in patients with acne vulgaris: a randomized clinical trial](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34251536/) Adapalene · Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022 - [The efficacy of glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone A combined with 0.1% adapalene vs adapalene monotherapy in mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris: a double-blinded within-person comparative study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30858720/) Glycolic acid · Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019 - [Clindamycin phosphate 1.2%/adapalene 0.15%/benzoyl peroxide 3.1% gel for moderate-to-severe acne: Efficacy and safety results from two randomized phase 3 trials](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37656094/) Adapalene · Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2023 ## Other combinations - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and benzoyl peroxide](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-benzoyl-peroxide) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and retinol](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-retinol) - Depends on the strength: [Glycolic acid and niacinamide](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-niacinamide) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and sodium lactate](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-sodium-lactate) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and tromethamine](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-tromethamine) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and acetyl hexapeptide-3](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-acetyl-hexapeptide-3) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and bio-placenta peptides](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-bio-placenta-peptides) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and collagen peptide](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-collagen-peptide) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and copper peptide](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-copper-peptide) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and hexapeptide](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-hexapeptide) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and hexapeptide-9](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-hexapeptide-9) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and palmitoyl pentapeptide-4](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-palmitoyl-pentapeptide-4) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and palmitoyl tripeptide-1](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-palmitoyl-tripeptide-1) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and peptide-rich plasma](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-peptide-rich-plasma) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and triple peptide blend](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-triple-peptide-blend) - Depends on the strength: [Adapalene and niacinamide](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-niacinamide) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and betaine](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-betaine) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and glycerin](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-glycerin) - Depends on the strength: [Glycolic acid and hyaluronic acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-hyaluronic-acid) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and acetyl hexapeptide-3](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-acetyl-hexapeptide-3) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and bio-placenta peptides](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-bio-placenta-peptides) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and carnosine](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-carnosine) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and collagen peptide](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-collagen-peptide) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and copper peptide](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-copper-peptide) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and hexapeptide](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-hexapeptide) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and hexapeptide-9](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-hexapeptide-9) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and palmitoyl pentapeptide-4](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-palmitoyl-pentapeptide-4) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and palmitoyl tripeptide-1](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-palmitoyl-tripeptide-1) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and peptide-rich plasma](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-peptide-rich-plasma) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and triple peptide blend](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-triple-peptide-blend) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and aha blend glycolic and citric acids](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-aha-blend-glycolic-and-citric-acids) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and citric acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-citric-acid) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and granactive retinoid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-granactive-retinoid) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and hydroxypinacolone retinoate](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-hydroxypinacolone-retinoate) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and pro-retinol](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-pro-retinol) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and retinal](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-retinal) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and retinoid blend](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-retinoid-blend) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and tretinoin](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-tretinoin) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and lactic acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-lactic-acid) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and mandelic acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-mandelic-acid) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and gluconolactone](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-gluconolactone) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and lactobionic acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-lactobionic-acid) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and cholesterol](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-cholesterol) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and lauric acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-lauric-acid) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and linoleic acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-linoleic-acid) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and tri-ceramide complex](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-tri-ceramide-complex) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and arginine](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-arginine) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and GABA](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-gaba) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and silk amino acids](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-silk-amino-acids) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and taurine](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-taurine) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and theanine](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-theanine) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and salicylic acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-salicylic-acid) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and vitamin C](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-vitamin-c) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and ferulic acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-ferulic-acid) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and vitamin E](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-vitamin-e) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and azelaic acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-azelaic-acid) - Keep them apart: [Glycolic acid and salicylic acid](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-salicylic-acid) - Keep them apart: [Adapalene and benzoyl peroxide](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-benzoyl-peroxide) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and allantoin](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-allantoin) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and bisabolol](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-bisabolol) - Work well together: [Glycolic acid and panthenol](https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/glycolic-acid-and-panthenol) ## About the Lovi Fit Lovi: Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes. Lovi checks every pairing with brand-independent rules its dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update. Levels from best to worst: Superior, High, Average, Low, Caution, Warning. Behind this pairing advice: Nadia Kapleva, MS (Co-founder, Medical Director); Alexey Shagraev, PhD (Co-founder, CEO and CTO); Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc (Medical Board); Aishani Shah, MD (Medical Board); Asya Zubkova, MS (Medical Board); Hanna Kurets, MD (Medical Board, Medical Advisor); Elina Nazarenko, MD (Medical Board); Victoria Derkova, MS (Medical Board). Page built Nov 8, 2026. More from Lovi: https://lovi.care/skincare/llms.txt ## This page in other countries - United States: https://lovi.care/skincare/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid - United Kingdom: https://lovi.care/skincare/uk/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid - Ireland: https://lovi.care/skincare/ie/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid - Germany: https://lovi.care/skincare/de/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid - France: https://lovi.care/skincare/fr/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid - Italy: https://lovi.care/skincare/it/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid - Netherlands: https://lovi.care/skincare/nl/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid - Spain: https://lovi.care/skincare/es/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid - Canada: https://lovi.care/skincare/ca/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid - Australia: https://lovi.care/skincare/au/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid - Singapore: https://lovi.care/skincare/sg/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid (this page) - Saudi Arabia: https://lovi.care/skincare/sa/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid - United Arab Emirates: https://lovi.care/skincare/ae/ingredients/adapalene-and-glycolic-acid